A World of Adventure
by Aria6
Summary: Axel has been unhappy for a while, taken for granted, and decides to go have some fun. What will happen? Who knows! Axel's POV.
1. Chapter 1

There's a time when you just have to let things go.

I figured that out when I was just a kid, and my mom left my brother and me. Where did she go? Everywhere, apparently. We got postcards sometimes but I never read them. Reno did, but I'm not sure why. It's not like we meant anything to her. I was bitter about that for a while, but then I understood that you just have to let it go. Not think about it anymore. Yeah, that's the ticket.

And that's where I am again, and wouldn't you know, it's with another person I love. Well. I did love him once, anyway. It's hard to love someone when they use _that_ tone with you. You know, the 'you are a retarded child how in hell do you survive' tone. And he's using it a lot with me these days. I mean, sure, I'm impulsive. I'm forgetful, I'm a bit flaky, I like to experiment in the bedroom and paint nudes of him. Isn't that what he liked about me? Why is it that everything I do makes him take that tone with me? What's the word for it? I know there's a word that really catches that tone… Contempt. Yeah, that's the one. Such a mood killer, hearing your lover talk like that.

"Axel, where are you going?" Shit, he noticed me leaving. I pull on my mittens and turn around with a smile.

"Oh, I just figured I'd go down to the bridge, look into the water, you know?" All true. It's what I do when I'm kinda upset, something he should know but apparently doesn't. Or if he remembers, he doesn't care.

"We have a dinner date at seven." He reminds me, and I have to suppress an urge to sigh. Company dinners that are practically mandatory are not dates, in my opinion, but I'll put on a good show for him tonight. No dirty jokes, no getting drunk, all for my Roxy.

"I know. I'll be home by six." It's only four now, I have plenty of time. He looks at me suspiciously with his baby blues and I just grin back at him, my trademark, adorable grin. Well, I like to think it's adorable anyway.

"Try to remember it." That tone again. Fuck, who is pissing in his cheerios lately? But if I ask what's wrong, the answer will be the same as always. Nothing.

"Yeah, of course." And if I didn't remember it would be to spite you. Well, not really. That's what psychiatrists call passive-aggressive, and I don't do that bullshit. I forget things because I forget them, not to stick it to Roxas. Although the way he acts these days you'd think it was personal. I leave before he can say anything else. I really don't want to hear it.

The apartment building we live in is really posh. Lots of marble, lots of pretty, polished wood and crystal chandeliers. Not to mention Murray the doorman. I say goodbye to him with a smile that he returns. We're buddies. Roxas pays for the apartment, of course. I couldn't begin to afford it as a freelance photographer. Although I do make decent money these days, doing all kinds of photo shoots. I do weddings, I do modeling photos, I do stuff for fashion magazines… my work is pretty well known these days. I haven't been taking any bookings for the future past this month, though, and I've been saving up for the past half year. I wonder what Roxas would think if he knew? He always said I couldn't save if my life depended on it. Guess he was wrong about that.

The bridge is so pretty in the fall. I lean against the wooden rail, just looking into the babbling stream below. The sound is so soothing. I love the sound of crackling fire and the sound of running water, and water is a lot safer when you haven't got a fireplace. I remember when I told Roxas that if we ever got a home, I wanted a water feature and a fireplace. He laughed and told me I was weird and I tickled him and we did something really nice after that. Good times. I bet if I mentioned it now, he'd look at me like I'm retarded. Why can't good times ever last?

I need to make my move soon. It's just getting too hard to grin and bear it, ya know? And I don't want to let him drag me down. I like being cheerful, this whole angst thing just isn't me. Staring into the water gets me thinking though. How did I think it would ever work between us? He's only twenty-three and I'm thirty-two. The older man, although I don't look a day over twenty. Reno's the same, it's kinda freakish actually. Mom claimed we had elf blood, but mom always did claim the nuttiest damn things. On the other hand, she didn't look much past forty at seventy, and she lived to a hundred and five, active until the very end so maybe…

Meh. Who cares. Roxas is what I need to think about it. He's a lawyer at a really high tone firm, making a shitload of money and working way too much, in my opinion. But that's Roxas, always trying to advance his career. Not like me. Sure, I work to promote myself but not like that. I'm a content little slug compared to him. And what's wrong with that? Something, apparently. Have you ever gotten the vibe that someone was embarrassed by you? That's something I get from him a lot, especially when he has to tell his lawyer friends what I do for a living.

Checking the time, I start to head back. I feel a lot better from being at the bridge though. The sound of water over stone is so soothing, although a fire crackling would be better. It's all about the sound. White noise has always made me happy, not sure why.

Roxas is waiting impatiently for me when I get back, even though I still have plenty of time. I quickly change into something a little more formal and follow him out. We don't say a word to each other, don't have to really. But the silence gets a bit heavy in the car and I just have to break it. Always a mistake.

"So yeah, did I tell you about that wedding I did last week?" I say cheerfully. "The one where the bride got me to photograph her and the groom jumping in the pool?"

"Yes. And you already told me the food sucked and their maiden aunt got drunk." Erk. Shit, my memory can be so bad sometimes but does he really have to shut me down like that? Oh well, I can take a hint, time to shut up.

It's a relief when we reach the restaurant this whole thing is being held at. It's a really posh place too, very art deco with black steel and crystals and stuff. Not really my style, I prefer warm wood but still nice.

Weird how things work out. If we hadn't happened to be put at the table with that one guy, maybe I would have put things off longer. But when Roxas introduced me to his lawyer friend, Demyx, I saw something funny. Then they started talking about lawyer things, ignoring me completely, but the bread was good so that was okay. The fourth person at the table was a girl named Harmony, but she didn't want to talk to me either. Not that it was anything personal, from the way she was looking at the bread basket. She looked as thrilled to be here as I felt.

Then I noticed it. Demyx was clearly a bubbly, happy go lucky sort, kinda like myself if I'd been a lawyer. And as Roxas talked to him he seemed all… glowy. Bright and animated and happy and something. It was the way he'd used to look at me, and hadn't for almost a year. I swallowed and put down my breadstick, feeling a little sick. Was this the answer to our problems? Was this his _nothing?_

Not that I thought Roxas was actually cheating on me. Don't get me wrong. But it really was time to break up. Things seemed to get better as I came to my decision, picking up my breadstick again and humming softly to myself. I almost laughed as I realized the tune. Who knew I could still remember that old Sylvia song?

_Well your Nobody called today,_

_She hung up when I asked her name,_

_Well I wonder, does she think she's being clever? Clever, oh ho._

_You say Nobodies after you,_

_That is what you say is true._

_But I can love you like Nobody can,_

_Even better!_

Well, actually, that song didn't really fit. Because I'm not going to fight for him, not like that. I've gotten pretty sick of hearing that tone of voice myself. It's time for a change, time to go do something totally off the wall and re-establish my flakedom. Yeah, that's the ticket.

It's so good to have a plan.


	2. Travel Plans to Mexico are a Go!

Of course, before I could go there were a lot of practical things to attend to.

First thing that occurred to me was the phone company. I called them and got them to keep my number active as just a mail box, and changed my greeting message to let my clients know that I've gone on a half-year trip and should be back sometime in the new year. That ought to give me enough time and people won't forget me that quickly. I also put a payment down for that time. I'll forget for sure if I don't pay stuff ahead.

Next up was hiring a U-Haul and getting a spot at a storage place. Easy peasy although the U-Haul isn't available until tomorrow. That's good actually, I need to box all this crap up. Oh, speaking of which…

"Hey, Riku!" I said cheerfully into my cell. "What are you doing tonight and tomorrow?"

_Getting ready for a trip. Why? _What an odd coincidence.

"Oh. Because I'm going on a trip too and I was wondering if you and Sora could help me box up my stuff and put it on the U-Haul." There was a laugh on the other end.

_Sure if you help us do the same. Too bad you didn't mention this earlier, maybe we could have gone together on the storage unit._ Wow, now that's a surprise. Sora and Riku are leaving for long enough that they're getting a storage unit too?

"Have I forgotten something important again? Because I sure don't remember hearing about this." I'd have thought I would have remembered, but maybe not. Riku laughs again.

_No, you haven't forgotten anything. We haven't told Roxas yet, but our business here hasn't been working out. We're not even sure where we're going._

"Wow, that is such a weird coincidence! I don't know where I'm going either. Maybe we should all go together?" There's a thoughtful pause at the other end and I suddenly wonder. How exactly does freelance writing not work out due to location? But I've always caught a whiff of bullshit when they told people what they do for a living. Then again, that's not my business if they're male escorts or something.

_That's an interesting thought. Can you come over to our place? Sora should be back soon and we can start moving things and discuss it._

"Excellent! I'll be down there shortly." I hang up the phone and head on down, grabbing my motorcycle and heading through traffic with what looks like total recklessness. It's not really, I'm just a damn good driver, but Roxas always hated it when I did this. Then again, he was the passenger so I guess he had a right.

Riku's and Sora's place is a little cottage in the bad part of town. It looks pretty run down too, the paint is peeling and there's some garbage in the yard. It's kind of funny, I embarrass Roxas but Sora doesn't seem to. Maybe it's because they're not lovers, or because Sora's such a sweety. There's a U-Haul parked out front and Sora opens the door when I knock, beaming.

"Axel!" He says happily, and I feel my heart melt a little. If only Roxas could be that happy to see me. I wouldn't be leaving. "How are you?"

"I'm doing okay, Sora. How are you guys?" Sora frowned a little, then smiled again. Aw, he's so cute.

"Not too bad! We're packing up fast though, let me show you the packing stuff." There's something a little odd going on here, but I'm not sure what. He's really happy to see me but bothered by it? Oh wait, what am I thinking. Roxas is his brother, of course he's bothered to see me here.

"Hey Riku!" I greet the silver hair and he looks up, smiling at me. We've always gotten along really well, despite how different we are.

"Hey Axel. So where are you planning to go?" Riku asks as he tapes up a vase in newspaper. I grab some paper and start working on the pile of plates he's got on the table.

"I'm not sure." I admit as I start taping. "This will probably sound stupid, but I was just going to take my camping stuff, pick a direction and go." All the stuff I need would go on my motorcycle easily. It's a touring type, from back when I traveled all over the place, so it has capacity. Riku looked thoughtful, exchanging a glance with Sora. Sora looked distressed, I noticed.

"Axel, I need to be blunt here. Sora and I are in a bit of a fix." I blinked at him and he grimaced. "I can't give you details but we need to get out of town fast. I really hate to ask you this but… I know your brother Reno has an auto shop and a lot of motorcycles." I nod. Rude's a collector, everyone knows that. "Can Sora and I borrow a bike? He can't drive them, but I can."

"?!?" Well, I sure wasn't expecting that! I think about it for a moment. "Probably, if I'm going with you. If not, Reno won't like it." Having me with them would be some insurance that he'd get his bike back. "It'll be one of his cheaper ones." There is no way Rude would lend him the jewels of his collection, but what do they care if they're just trying to get around? Riku nods.

"Anything would do. Our car, uh, broke down." Woah, my bullshit meter just went off the charts. But what could've happened to their car that they'd need to lie about? Interesting. Could they be into something dangerous? I'd like that, I really would. It's been years since I the last time I got into real shit. I should have another adventure before I die. "Uh… Axel, this could be dangerous." Riku looks almost depressed and Sora looks wretched. I just laugh.

"I'm getting the idea! You guys owe money to the mob or what? That's what happened to Reno." Poor Reno had a passion for slow horses in those days. Well, he would have said it was fast horses but his winnings at the race track said otherwise. Fortunately, he'd managed to get past that although we'd both lost our inheritance saving his balls. "Well, whatever it is I don't care. It's been too long since I've had danger in my life." I can feel a bit of a thrill already. Sora looks surprised and Riku laughs.

"You're a fruitcake. Roxas has no idea what he's losing. Oh, have you mentioned this to him yet?" Sora winces at that and I shake my head as I start packing up the wrapped plates.

"Not yet. I was going to tell him tonight over dinner. Sorry Sora, I know he's your brother and all but I'm sick to death of his attitude. Ya know?" Sora nodded sadly.

"I know. I told him he was going to lose you if he kept acting like that, but he told me to go away." Well, that's a bit of a surprise. But Sora's a sweety, so maybe it's not so surprising he'd try to straighten out Roxas. "It was hard to listen to him talk to you like that, sometimes." I winced. It had been that obvious? How mortifying. "Don't tell him we're going with you, okay? We want to handle that ourselves."

"Sure." Sora and Riku's relationship with Roxas was their business. For the next couple hours we worked really hard and before you knew it, the whole place was packed up and in the U-Haul. "Whew! Want to go get something to eat and take a break before we hit up my place?"

"Definitely." We were all exhausted. We walked over to the local Taco Bell and got some ersatz Mexican food and some really good diet coke. By the time we'd finished eating we'd gotten our wind back.

"Yo Quiero Taco Bell!" I managed a decent impression of the Taco Bell dog, and Riku laughed as Sora almost choked on his drink.

"You've already got it." Riku pointed out as I grinned, unrepentant. Riku smiled, eyes warm. "I have got to say, Axel, I think I'm going to be glad to have you along. You're comic relief."

"Ouch!" I laugh at that. It's too true though, that's my role in life. A good thing I like being a flake or it might be depressing. But making people laugh is just so damn fun, how could I resist? "Oh hey, I should call Reno, I bet he's done work." I pop out my cell and give my fellow redhead a quick call.

_Hey Axel, s'up?_ From the background noise he's at the bar already.

"Well, I'm about to take it on the lamb 'cause the pigs are after me and I wanted to know if I could borrow a touring bike for my partners in crime?" I grin as there's a brief silence.

_What, are you serious? What the hell did you do?_ Oh shoot, he's worried.

"No, I'm not serious. I'm just breaking up with Roxy and want to get out of dodge for a while. Riku and Sora are in some kinda trouble and they want to come too. Do you have any crappy tour bikes they could borrow?" There's a sigh of relief on the other end.

_That's a bit better. Sure, I think I've got something perfect. Riku drives but Sora doesn't, right?_

"Right." Riku is glancing out the window a lot, I notice. What is after these two? Oh well, not really my business. Not yet anyway, I might have to pump them both later.

_Okay, I'll do it for you. But tell them they damn well better bring my bike back in one piece._ I grin, although he can't see me. I knew Reno would come through for me after the way I came through for him over the horse race thing.

"Great! Thanks a zillion Reno. We'll come by later, okay?" I get an affirmative and hang up. "He's got a bike for you, we can go pick it up after we get my place packed."

"You think we'll have finished before Roxas gets home?" Sora sounds worried and I bark a laugh.

"You kidding? He won't be home until six or seven. Maybe eight. We'll have it all taken care of, no problem." Sora winces but nods, and Riku frowns.

"Doesn't he usually go to work at like six AM?" Riku sounds a little concerned and I nod.

"Yeah, it's been that way for a while." Riku and Sora exchange a glance, but I just shrug. I'd already had my fights with Roxas about his schedule a year ago. Nothing had changed and I gradually got used to it. "Doesn't matter now. He can do what he likes."

"Oh, I see. Well, lets get over to your place." Riku looks upbeat but Sora seems sad. I eye him a moment as we're leaving.

"Sora, something wrong?" He just looks away for a moment, then sighs.

"I almost feel like I'm betraying Roxas." I wince and he sighs. "I know I'm not. You'd be leaving even if we weren't helping you, but I'm not sure he'll see it that way."

"He'll be fine. It's not like we've been close for a while." I wasn't totally sure about that, though. I wonder if Roxas knows how much he's been driving me away? He ought to, we had plenty of fights about it before I just gave up. I hate fighting with him, I really do. It never accomplishes a damn thing and I'm just not an argumentative sort of person. It drags me down. Oh well, I'll find out soon.

It doesn't take long at all to get my things together. The only furniture I take is the second bed, which was mine before we met and we've been using for guests, an end table and the small TV, which was also mine. There's a lot of stuff we've bought together or I bought for the apartment that I leave. I won't really need it and it was partly a gift to Roxas anyway. I take the worst dishes, a single frying pan and a pot, the bare essentials for my own place. And my personal crap, of course. We get done the whole thing in a couple more hours and we're really bushed now. So we head over to Reno's to get the motorcycle.

"Beautiful!" Riku runs his hands over the motorcycle appreciatively, and I grin. He probably thought when I said a crappy motorcycle it would be a rusty clunker. Hah, as if. Reno doesn't bother with anything like that. But the motorcycle Riku is fondling is a rather generic Yamaha, in perfect shape but not expensive or unusual.

"It's alright. It'll get you where you need to go and sit two easily. Not to mention carrying a fair amount of gear." Reno said and Sora beamed. He and Riku had brought duffle bags and they were going to easily fit into the hard cases. The tent in mine was a two-man pup tent, which would be a little crowded with the three of us but doable. No privacy, of course, but I could just take a long walk if they decide to get it on. Or join in depending on how kinky they are. I suspect that Riku is plenty kinky but keeps it vanilla for Sora. "Now Axel, you make sure this comes back in one piece, you hear? Or you'll be paying for it." I laugh at the threat. I know for sure he won't follow through; he owes me a lot more than the bike is worth.

"Don't worry Reno, we'll take care of it for you." I do mean it though. I'd never want to damage his property on purpose. He grins and claps me on the shoulder.

"Ah, don't worry about it. Go on, have fun, clear your head and when you get back tell me all about the orgies you got into." Sora is blushing and Riku is grinning. Yeah, some kinky in that one.

After that we all decide to head on over to the pub. We're ready to go but it's way too late to make a start out of town. That's for tomorrow and Riku has some ideas.

"See, I think we should go here." Riku shows us both his pocket map. "This direction, down to Colorado Springs then on to Albuquerque. Then we can either head over to Phoenix or go down into Mexico." Mexico? That idea catches my attention. I speak fluent Spanish so Mexico is an interesting idea.

"Haven't the drug wars been getting a little rough down there?" I remember reading about a tourist couple who got kidnapped and terrorized recently. Not a fun time. Riku seems to think that's funny though.

"Don't worry about it Axel, me and Sora got it covered. And don't you have a gun?" I give him an annoyed look. I do have a gun and a concealed carry permit, but it's not something I like people to know. It's a bit hard between state lines, too. And Mexico is out of the question.

"Yeah, I'm not bringing that along with me. Do you know how fucked up the laws are between states? And if they caught me with a gun in Mexico I'd be in jail. They don't let US citizens take guns there." I read up on it last time I went into Mexico on a trip. A stint in jail would have really cramped my style. Well, for that anyway, I don't mind going to jail for something really awesome. But forgetting about the gun laws would just be lame.

"Oh. Well, we'll manage." I sigh but let it go. I want danger anyway. Mexico it is!

"Okay then, we have a plan. Straight down to Mexico like the common criminals we are." I rub my hands together as Sora giggles and Riku grins. "That should help make the money stretch too." The exchange rate kicks ass. Riku nods.

"Right. Well, we have a plan." He puts away the map and I order us another round of beer. We're talking and joking when my cell phone rings and I sigh at the familiar tone. Is Roxas home early?

"Hey Roxy?" I say as I flick it open.

_Hey Axel. I just want to let you know I'm going to be home late tonight._ I grimace. He would pick tonight of all nights.

"How late is late? Because I need to talk to you but I have to get to bed early." I'd planned to stay over at Riku and Sora's, actually. No way am I going to try sleeping with Roxas right after breaking up with him, that would just be cruel to us both.

_Probably not until midnight. Don't wait up for me, Axel._ Oh really. The phone goes dead before I can say anything and I glare at it. Roxas has always had terrible phone etiquette. I glance up and see that Sora's staring at the table and Riku's frowning.

"What did he have to say?" I explain and Riku winces. "Oh. What are you going to do?" We're going to be leaving bright and early tomorrow, but I don't want to chance missing Roxas in the morning. I don't know how he survives on so little sleep.

"Uh… fuck." I didn't want to end it this way. I wanted to cook him dinner and break the news as gently as I could. But Roxas has fucked it all up. "I'll have to leave him a letter. It's a shitty way to break up but what can you do? Cell phone is worse." I hate talking on my cell at the best of times. It's for necessary messages, that's it. I sure as hell don't want to have a breakup over it. Riku nodded slowly.

"It might be for the best. Just don't tell him you're with us, please." I nod. It won't be hard.

"He probably won't notice the letter until tomorrow after work." Unless I put it on the bed, and that would be a little… I dunno, wrong somehow. He'll find it when he finds it. "Let's have some more beer. Hey, want some potato skins?"

"Sure!" Riku is always hungry and so am I, for that matter. High metabolism or something. Sora watches enviously as we go to town. He has to watch it or he starts to plump out a bit. After the food we head for home, Riku and Sora riding the new motorcycle.

It's a good start to the adventure of a lifetime.


	3. Harry Potter? Not really, no

_Roxas,_

_I really wanted to tell you this in person, and I feel kinda shitty for doing it by letter. But things are moving fast now and when you decided to stay late I lost the chance. It's like this… I've really been unhappy for a while. Things just haven't been right between us, but you probably know that right? I sure hope so. I mean, the way our love life has been going… even if you don't agree with what I have to say you can't think that's normal. At least I sure hope not._

_I can hear you in my head saying, "I've been busy and you're too needy, we need to take a break." I'm taking you up on that this time, but not a temporary thing. Sorry Roxas, but I've given this enough of my life. Maybe we'll meet again someday._

_Axel_

_PS – I left you all the movies. Any you don't want, could you send over to Reno please? Thanks._

* * *

"Hey Axel?" I looked up at Riku from where I was packing the motorcycle. It was five AM in the morning, but we wanted to get this show on the road as fast as we could. "Could you do something for me?"

"Maybe, what?" I'd learned a long time ago not to just say yes to questions like that. Riku grinned and offered me something that I blinked at. A necklace? It looked Native American, a leather bag slung on a thong.

"Can you wear this, and never take it off, please? I mean not even in the shower." I give him a funny look and he shrugs. "It's a fetish. It'll, uh, keep you safe from all kinds of things. But only if you keep it on all the time."

"I don't believe in stuff like that, Riku." My mom believed in it though. I can still remember all kinds of crazy shit about how to keep elves away. That shit was bananas. But Riku is looking at me pleadingly like this is really important to him, so I shrug and take it. "Sure, if you want." He seems really relieved.

"Just don't take it off, ever. Please?" That's really important to him too. Weird.

"Got it memorized. We ready to go?" I'm so ready. Sora looks ready too, eating a toaster strudel and beaming. Lucky bum, he'll be the only one who can really eat while we're going along. It's hard to pilot a motorcycle and eat at the same time, I make it a policy not to ever do it. And Reno would kill me if I let Riku try.

And that is how we left Denver to begin our odyssey. We were in no great hurry to reach Mexico, so I was sure it would be fun.

* * *

"Albuquerque!" I stretched out, looking at our tent with approval. We'd gotten a spot at the campground and set up shop like seasoned wanderers. Sora and Riku were really taking to it which made me wonder a bit if they'd done something like this before. I wouldn't have been at all surprised. What little I'd gotten out of Roxas on the subject of Sora had consisted of the fact that he'd run away from home at fourteen to be with a sixteen year old Riku. Not because there was anything really wrong with their home, but because Riku's home really sucked balls and Sora loved him a lot. I hadn't asked many questions and Roxas hadn't given much in the way of answers. I could catch the sadness in him whenever he thought about it, and figured I knew why. I had felt the same when Reno left home and left me behind, even though he'd needed to go to school. "Now, what to do?" That was the question. Sora had out his laptop and was tapping away. Some kind of wireless satellite connection, it costs him a fortune but it's worth it.

"Why don't we go see the Aerial Tramway?" Sora suggested and I peeked over his shoulder. It did look interesting.

"How much does it cost?" That was a big point. They needed to keep costs down wherever they went, partly so they could buy the important things, like beer. Sora looked up with a grin.

"Seventeen fifty for an adult!" Hmm, that wasn't bad. "And there's a Mexican restaurant at the base and a steakhouse sort of place at the summit."

"Nice. We should go to the Mexican place for lunch. What are the prices like, though?" Although food was a place I liked to splurge a little, kinda like booze.

"Around 10 dollars for lunch. Hey, look at the drink menu. Lots of margaritas and beer." I love margaritas. They're one of my favorite drinks. There was one time when Roxas and me shared… no, shouldn't think about that. Thinking about the good times can still tug on my heartstrings if I let it. There was a time when we were so much in love it hurt. Damn. Maybe I won't get a margarita after all. It would look really bad if I started crying in it.

"Um, anyway." I blink as I feel a hand on my shoulder and focus on Sora. He looks so sad, what did he see in my face there? I'm blushing now, damn, I feel like such a fool. "We can go geocaching too, Riku has the GPS and I have the coordinates for some caches."

"Oh yeah? Sure, why not." I'm not into geocaching like they are but what the heck, I'm willing to tag along. I like nature hikes and that's what geocaching is, a lot of the time. For those of you who don't know, geocaching is a weird ass hobby where people hide caches, note the coordinates and post them on a website for other people to find. If you find a cache you write your name in the log book and the bigger caches have stuff in them. You can take something and leave something. Also, people put things like travel bugs in. If you take one of those you need to log it and put it in another cache. The bugs travel, they're travel bugs, get it? Got it? Great! Geocoins are the same thing but coins.

"Although we won't be able to log them until later. Sora, keep a file of the ones we find alright?" I have to frown at that, glancing at Riku. When caches are found people log them on the website with their names, adding to their total finds.

"Why can't you log them now?" Sora and Riku trade a glance and it makes me wonder. They're worried that someone will notice an increase in their geocache page and track them that way? Sure, it's very possible but to do it someone would have to know their geocaching names. You don't list any personal info on that webpage. Who are they hiding from, Roxas?

"We'd rather not talk to Sora's family about this just yet." Oh! Okay, they are hiding from Roxas, hah. That makes sense.

"Okay. In that case, want to start with a geocache, then some supper?" It was getting late. We could probably make one good geocache but that would be it. Riku nodded.

"Sounds good. We can get up early tomorrow, geocache in the morning and go to the lift for lunch. We can go on the lift after we eat." A great idea. It'll give plenty of time for the alcohol to vanish.

"Sounds good." I play with the necklace Riku gave me as they figure out what cache to visit tonight. They find a good one in a park and we set out. Albuquerque is a really pretty city with awesome landscape, I can't wait to see more of it.

* * *

"Hey, a ski museum, cool. Want to go there first before we do the tram?" I've just had a great meal at Sandiago's Mexican Grill, with a couple Negra Modelo to wash it down. That dark Mexican beer is some good, I must say. Riku had a Fat Tire and Sora tried the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. We shared a bit, too, so we all got to try the different beers. Fat Tire was nice and the Sierra Nevada was my least favorite, although I'd never say no to a free one.

"Sure, why not?" Riku and Sora both seem to be in a great mood today. Sora's darting around like a bumblebee on crack while Riku is smiling and watching him. It's actually really nice, it's all so cheerful. I can't remember the last time I was this happy. Maybe it's the colors here. The restaurant was wonderfully garish and the landscape is so beautiful. The sky is so bright! Denver can be plenty bright too though. Ah, don't overthink it.

We're up in the tram, looking down at the landscape and marveling when the tram suddenly stops. Riku frowns as Sora looks a bit scared, and I can't help but feel a bit frightened too. We're really high up. Riku mutters something and gestures, then the tram starts up again.

"Doing voodoo on the tram?" I tease him but to my surprise, Riku tenses. Then he grins, but it's not a very humorous expression.

"Kind of. Don't worry about it." I lift my eyebrows, wondering what that means and scratch my head. Then I glance at Sora and stare. He's expressionless but his eyes are glazed over with held back tears. He looks like he might break down and cry at any moment.

"Oi Sora!" I put an arm around him and he shivers. "What's wrong? You okay?" Riku shifts uncomfortably but when I look at him, he's just looking away. He looks slightly guilty, actually. Sora sniffs.

"I-I'm okay. I'm just worried is all." This is confusing. What are they so scared of? And why would the tram stopping bother them? I gently comfort Sora for a moment, a touch worried that Riku might get jealous. I mean, this is his boyfriend and to tell the truth, I really do like Sora. If he were free I'd be hitting on him in a minute. Although that would probably really screw up his relationship with Roxas. Maybe it's a good thing he's not free, come to think of it.

"It'll be fine Sora. We'll be safe in Mexico." Sora sniffs and nods at Riku's reassurance and I stare at him.

"Are you guys on the run from the cops?" Riku and Sora exchange a glance. "Shit, you are aren't you?" THAT is unexpected. Riku yeah, I could imagine him getting in trouble with the authorities for sure. He's been a bit of an anarchist forever, not the kind of guy to obey rules just because they exist. "Should we just go straight for the border?" I don't know what they've done but, shit. They're my friends. But Riku shakes his head.

"No, that's what they'd expect us to do. And we're very hard to find right now." I stare at him, willing him to say more but he doesn't. Fuck this.

"I want an explanation guys. If not now, then later." This secrets thing is going on long enough. Riku looks like he wants to refuse when Sora speaks up.

"He deserves one Riku. He's really in danger now." I blink at him, a touch surprised. I'm in danger? That's a bit odd. Is it not the cops then, but something else?

"Alright. But not right now Sora. This isn't a good place." Okay, I can take that. I nod as the tram keeps going and we all enjoy the majesty of nature.

But I'm going to get the full story out of them later.

* * *

"Okay, time to spill. What's going on?" We're back in the pup tent. It's comfy enough, especially with Sora lying on top of Riku which is what they're doing right now. Damn, that's cute. I want to nibble them both. Roxas would call me a pervert, haha… ha. Shit, that's not such a cheerful thought. Back when we were in love he'd have teased me about it but now he'd mean it.

"Well, it's like this." Riku says tiredly, catching my wandering attention. "Axel, do you believe in magic?"

"Uh?" That's a weird question. "No. Who believes in magic?" There's a brief silence as they exchange a glance. "Fuck, lay it on me Riku. I'm a big boy, I can take it." I'll decide if Riku is on drugs after I hear it. Riku sighs and gets started talking.

"Me and Sora are both intermediate mages. Sora and Roxas are both from a very prominent family in the magical community. I'm not. My family has elf blood taint." I blink at that, remembering mom's stories of elf blood. Weird. "They accepted me anyway, mostly to humor Sora." Sora winced, hugging Riku tightly and Riku smiled down at him. "Don't worry about it, Sora. It saved my life. The magic was killing me."

"I know. That's why I went with you." Sora nuzzled Riku's neck as Riku sighed, then glanced at me.

"What happened recently is, I accidentally came in contact with an elven relic. It bonded to me and I can't remove it. And I'm… not from a prominent family, and this could be considered evidence that I'm too tainted to be a proper wizard. So we're on the run. But wizards have different groups according to country, mostly, and if we make it to Mexico we can make a deal with the wizards there to stay." Riku smiled. "I've had some contact with them before so it will probably be cool. But we have to make it there."

"Wait, wait, back up. Wizards? Like Harry Potter? Are you serious?" My brain is frying here. Seriously, I feel like my hair is melting into my head. Sora is giggling at me. "Wait, Roxas is a wizard? What the fuck! He's a lawyer."

"He is a lawyer." Riku agreed. "But only half the time. The rest of the time he's a wizard. All those late night meetings he goes to, the times he stayed late at the office? Those were wizard business." Riku paused, looking at me thoughtfully. "You're still right to be mad at him though. That kind of thing is optional; he's trying to climb higher."

"We're not like Harry Potter really." Sora said as he managed to control his giggles. "No magic wands, a lot of different specialties, and it's sort of a secret society and cultural thing. Not many people outside the major families ever get brought in. It's a shame really, a lot of people have a great deal of talent and it just goes unused, or worse, poisons their lives." Shit, they really believe this, I can tell. Magic is real?

"Roxas was keeping this secret from me the whole time? Why didn't he tell me?" They exchange another glance and I want to smack them. "God, just tell me!" Sora flinches a little as Riku frowns.

"Axel… you're… not an acceptable partner for any wizard." Riku starts delicately, and I glare at him. What is so wrong about being a freelance photographer? "It's not your profession, it's who you are." Huh? "You're stiff with magical talent. It glows off you. It's why people tend to like you so much just from a bit of casual contact, but it makes wizards uneasy because it's completely untrained. Not only that." Riku swallowed as if the next subject was painful to him. "My great-great-grandmother was an elf, and so I'm considered tainted. You're a half-elf. That's a thousand times worse." WHAT?

"Wait, what? My mother said we had elf blood but… wait, are you saying my mother was an elf? A faerie? Is that what you're saying?" This is insane! "But she got older, I saw it!"

"Not really, elves can glamour you into seeing anything." Riku said as I stared at him. "I bet she never slowed down and didn't die of old age. What did she die of? And was your father an artist of some kind?"

"Huh?" That's a weird question. "She was murdered, actually." Not something I care to think of, that someone would do that to an old woman. "Found with a broken neck in a park, with her purse missing. And yeah, dad was a musician, why?"

"Judging from your looks, Axel, your mother was probably a Leanan Sidhe." Riku said gently as I stared at him. "Unless they're slain with cold iron, the Sidhe are reborn and eventually return to the mortal world, particularly the Leanan. They feel a deep need to act as muses for mortal artists, bringing them to heights of creativity and sometimes having children with the mortals they care for the most. I imagine your father wrote many truly inspired works when your mother was with him." Oh yes, that's true. He almost died of despair when she left. "Don't think to harshly of her for leaving, Axel. She probably knew that she'd drawn attention and that searchers were closing in. If she had been found with you, you and Reno would probably have been eliminated as well."

"What? We were just kids!" This is unbelievable. What the hell? "Why would I be safe now then?"

"You're not." I look at Sora, and he's looking at me with sad eyes. "Our parents really don't like you. If you ever showed any sign of using your magic…" Sora shrugged, and I swallowed. "They've been asking Roxas to break up with you forever." Sora said sadly. "I think that's why he's been so mean to you."

"Reno, is he in danger too?" I don't know if I believe all this but it's kind of making sense. Mom always did have so many stories about elves and faeries, it would make a bizarre sort of sense that she was one. And she always seemed to glow with energy. Kind of like me, actually.

"No, Reno really is safe." Riku assures me. "He has almost no magical talent, you got all of it. Um… you're really in danger now though." Riku sighs and reaches over to hook the leather thong with one finger, lifting up the little pouch I'm wearing. The one he gave to me. "This is disguising our presence, blending us into your aura so if anyone searches they'll only feel half-elf. If they figure it out, though, well. Even if they assume you're a dupe they'd kill you to be on the safe side. Elves are like vermin to them." That kind of pisses me off, actually. Who are these faceless bozos who think they can judge me like this?

"Fuck that." I quickly make a decision. "Can you teach me this magic shit?" Not that I really believe in it but hey. It should be diverting, right? Riku stares at me as Sora blinks.

"Axel, if we do that they'll never let you live!" Riku objects, and I shrug.

"From what you've said they won't let me live anyway. Will the wizards in Mexico feel differently?" Roxas and Riku exchange another glance and I sigh. "And can you two stop that?" Sora blushes, but Riku is mostly impervious.

"The wizards in Mexico are largely refugees from the States and other areas." Riku says slowly. "So they won't care about your half-elf ancestry. But the wizards from the States might try to hunt you down anyway, Axel. Mexico isn't that organized." That danger applies to him and Sora too, I can see it in his eyes.

"Well, I'll take my chances. I really like having danger in my life, I think I'd like a bit of magic too." That makes Sora smile. I think he gets it. Riku thinks about it a moment, then shrugs.

"It's your funeral, fire hair. Sora, can you push off a bit?" Sora nods and sits up so Riku can paw through a bag. "Here, read this. It's a primer on basic magic. When you're done I can try to teach you something."

"Okay." Sounds like a good place to start. Books on magic, eh? Never saw those at Barnes and Noble.

This should be interesting.


	4. Pretty Girls

(Roxas POV)

How could I have been so blind?

I knew Axel hadn't been happy for a long time, but I never really thought it was serious. I mean, he was always just _there_. Always making supper for me whenever I got home, always washing the dishes and fixing anything that needed fixing.

It's so strange. When we first met, I loved everything about him. I loved that goofy grin of his, the way his green eyes sparkled when he was happy. I loved the way he could do voice impressions and the way he could make even the simplest story so funny. I even loved how he would tell me a story then forget he'd told me it and retell it until I punched him in the shoulder and told him he was like an instant replay. Then we'd both laugh and get some ice cream.

Then I took him to meet my parents and god. Was I in for a shock. How could I have known the guy I was romancing and being romanced by for a whole year was a half-elf? And I had no idea what that meant until my parents told me. I couldn't believe them at first when they told me that if Axel mastered his magic and the power inside himself, he could become a Daoine Sidhe, an elf warrior. And if he did, he would be extremely dangerous. It just didn't seem possible that Axel and dangerous could fit together in the same sentence. Worse yet, I was completely forbidden from telling him anything about magic.

My parents didn't want me to be anywhere near him, but I resisted them for the longest time. But I remember the day I clearly saw Axel's dark side. We were having a fight over something stupid and Axel was holding a glass of water. The glass suddenly shattered when he yelled something at me, and that shocked us both out of our anger. He was surprised but laughed and made a joke about squeezing things too hard. I got a rag to clean up the water and that's when I realized it wasn't just the squeezing. The water was boiling hot. That was why the glass had broken… and Axel hadn't felt the heat at all. I'd seen him shaking water off his hand, he should have been badly scalded but he didn't feel a thing. And there was a haze of magic in the air.

That was when things started to change. I talked to my parents about it and they told me what to look for to see if Axel was ever changing. They got me advanced classes after work so I could monitor him more closely. Of course, Axel didn't understand why I was working so much and I could hardly tell him. We fought a lot about that for a while, but gradually the fighting stopped.

At first, I was doing it all for him, but it didn't stay that way. I love magic, I always have, and I wanted to get better at it for myself. I wanted to be the greatest wizard in my generation and I couldn't share that dream with Axel. I confided everything in my parents and they introduced me to Demyx. Demyx became my best friend, the person I could confide all my worries in. And Axel… god, this hurts to say. He started to annoy me. That stupid grin, the way he kept repeating his stories, everything about him was getting on my nerves. I-I sometimes wonder if my parents made me feel that way. They always made their disapproval quietly clear and would sort of point things out to me. Things that Axel could do better if I just brought it to his attention, you know? You probably don't know. I'm not sure I do. But it feels like they were involved somehow.

It doesn't matter. I made the choice to act the way I did, and I thought Axel would just be there for me the way he always was. It never occurred to me that he might just toss it all and vanish into the night, and it should have. I should have realized that would be a very Axel thing to do. And now that he's gone, all I want is to see that goofy grin again and hear one of his stories. Feel those warm, callused hands on me. After reading his letter I realized it had been almost a month since we made love. An entire month, and he hadn't complained at all. How could I not have noticed? What kind of crappy lover have I been to him?

I have to find him. I don't know if he'll forgive me, but I at least have to apologize. I don't know if he'll accept it but I have to try. Didn't he leave anything personal in the house? I can't find a thing with enough of his aura on it for a trace. Damn. I guess I'll have to try Reno first, then maybe Sora and Riku.

"Hey, is Reno in?" I ask the girl manning the front counter, and she nods, pointing at the back.

"Somewhere in there." I hesitate, then venture into the back of the auto-shop. I haven't been here very often. I finally spot Reno working hard on a car.

"Hey, Reno?" He looks up from his work with a scowl and definitely doesn't seem pleased to see me. "I'm looking for Axel, I really need to apologize. Do you know where he's gone?"

"Apologize? It's a bit late, don't you think?" I wince, looking down because I know he's right. I've really, really screwed up. "I don't know where he's gone. He said he wasn't even sure." Oh god. That sounds like Axel alright.

"Oh, thank you then." I quickly leave, trying to figure out what to do. I try calling him but he must have turned his cell phone off. Of course, it couldn't be that easy. I try calling Sora but can't reach him either, that's odd. I'll go check out their place. The last thing I expect to find is their place completely cleaned out. What is going on? Then my phone rings.

"Hello?"

_Roxas, can you come home? There's some trouble with your brother we need to discuss._ Oh no. What has Sora gotten into this time? Or rather, what has Riku gotten him into? Riku has always been trouble, with his talent for dark magic and glamours. Mom and dad can't stand him either, but Sora handled that by not going to see them except when he had to. Maybe I should have done the same.

"Sure dad, I'll be right there." I need to find out what's going on. Going home takes about a half hour, and when I get there I marvel at the house for a moment.

It's actually more of a mansion. It's been in the family for generations and it shows. Sometimes, the weight of all the history feels like a burden. I wonder if Sora has ever felt that way? Probably, but he's so focused on Riku that it doesn't seem to matter to him. I wish I could be that intense with Axel. If only I'd been able to teach him how to use his magic the way Sora taught Riku… but it was impossible. And it's hard to be that tight with someone when you can't share half your life with them.

I'm woolgathering again. Time to concentrate. Dad and mom are waiting for me in the study and I pause a moment, just looking at them. Dad is older and still good looking, with very blonde hair and a beard. Mom is petite and brunette, a lot like Sora. It was an arranged marriage, most are, but they seem to really love each other. They certainly share most of the same attitudes.

"Roxas, good. Have you seen Sora recently?" My dad asks. I shake my head and he sighs. "It was too much to hope. Roxas, I'm afraid that Sora and Riku are in a great deal of trouble."

"Oh?" I say neutrally and take a seat. This doesn't sound good. Everyone has always been down on Riku since the moment he joined us. Dad nods soberly.

"I'm afraid so. There was an ancient sidhe artifact in the armory, and it's gone missing. It was meant to bond to an elf fit to wield it and we're afraid Riku has it. Given its purpose it's difficult to imagine what he would want it for, so he probably just doesn't know how to remove it, but he hasn't come to anyone for help." Oh really? Can't imagine why not. The way you tried to kill him in front of Sora that one time should all be forgiven! "He's far too independent." Heh, really. Imagine that. "So we need to find them so this object can be removed from Riku."

"Without killing him?" The brief silence makes me thing the worst, but then mom clears her throat.

"Of course, we'll attempt to remove it safely. But there might be side-effects." That's something you really don't want to hear in regards to removal of magical items. It could mean everything from a migraine to leaving part of Riku's heart and soul in the object permanently. Not good. "But first we need to find Sora and Riku. We've already tried a searching spell for Sora with your father's and my blood, but we haven't found anything." Woah, really? That shouldn't be possible unless… Sora's dead. But that can't be true, can it? "We're relatively certain they're both alive but confusing our searches." I frown at that. It would take something really powerful to confuse a blood trace, but then Riku is amazingly talented. So is Sora, in a completely different way.

"So you want me to add my blood and magic to your searching spell." A triple focus would be really potent. But something else occurs to me. "What will happen to Riku after the artifact is removed from him?"

"Well, the Council wanted to have him executed of course." Like always. Poor Riku, I really do feel for him. He didn't ask to be born with elf blood and a gift like the sun. "But they've agreed to spare his life if he takes a blood bond to Sora." Oh, well. That's reasonable and they'd both probably agree to that. I'm sure they've been thinking of doing it just because they love each other. "And a geas of obedience to the Council." Well, Riku won't like that. But if it gets them off his case maybe…

"Okay, I'll help." It's not like I really have a choice anyway although it's nice that dad is pretending I do. He could have just ordered me to join the spell and I'd have to obey or risk my position and I really don't want that. I've worked very hard to get where I am, and it's more than just a position. Getting to work on the hardest enchantments is almost like a drug.

Soon we have the search spell set up and I add my own blood to the web, then my magic. God, this is a powerful spell! But then, my dad made it and he's the best. Power seems to warm and then-

What the HELL? I feel the aura rising around me but it's not Sora. It feels like-like so many things all at once. I can taste fruit, smell smoke and feel the earth under my fingers. I can hear a sound like a crackling fire or maybe a babbling brook and it's all overwhelming but beautiful. I want to love it, want to just experience it but I can't because I recognize it. I've only felt a faint taste of it before but I know what it is, I know who it is. Axel. I almost say it out loud but remember myself in time as my father swears.

"When I find the elf that is doing that I'm going to kill him!" Kill? Axel? Oh god, has Axel learned magic? Sora, Riku, what have you done? "I thought for certain we would punch through that aura this time. It's just too potent."

"Have you tried searching for the location of that aura?" Oh shit, I shouldn't be giving them ideas! But dad nods.

"We've already tried but it's very difficult to pin down." That's Axel alright. "The question is why an elf is hiding them. Blast it." He thinks the aura is pure elf? That's a bit strange.

"You're sure Riku took the artifact and not this elf?" Mother says and I want to curse. If Axel took the artifact he really is doomed. But dad is shaking his head.

"Riku's signature was all over the armory. Most likely the brats have found an elf somewhere and convinced him or her to aide them. But the cost… we have to find them!" I bite my lip as mom looks ready to cry. I understand where they're coming from. The truth is that elves are so very dangerous. I don't agree with how half-elves and elfbloods are treated, Riku, Axel and Reno certainly deserve to live, but real elves can be a different matter. The kinds of things they would demand for their help aren't to be thought about.

I'm almost tempted to tell them it's Axel. Then they wouldn't be so afraid for Sora. I know they don't really care about Riku. But if I tell them, Axel will be in so much trouble. He is already and he probably doesn't even know it. I have to find him and warn him! What in hell were Sora and Riku thinking, involving him in this?

"I'm going to go look through Sora's and Riku's house again, see if I can find anything." Dad waves me off and I get out quickly. I'm actually going to go home to my house and see if there's anything at all there that can serve as a focus to find Axel. Maybe whatever spell they're using to obfuscate his aura won't work if I'm searching for him directly.

I'm not sure, but I can hope.

* * *

"What are we going to do Riku?" Sora sounds close to tears again. What's gone wrong now?

For the life of me I can't see it, but I'm not doing so well at my magic lessons. Actually, I'm failing hard. The book was hard to get through, it read like a math primer and I hate math, but I managed it. Riku's lessons are just frustrating though. I can't get the hang of anything, no matter how many magic types he exposes me to. Makes me wonder if they're wrong about my talent but Riku swears I'm easily as strong as he is.

"I don't know Sora." Riku sounds discouraged and I finally sigh.

"Would someone explain to a confused pyro what the problem is?" I say plaintively as Sora looks down and Riku grimaces.

"There are wizards at the border crossing." Riku explains. "We can hide from their magic but they might know me and Sora by sight. And we can't glamour them, they'd see through that for certain." Ohhh. Haha, I see!

"Well, why didn't you say so? That's easy to take care of." They both stare at me like I've lost my mind and I grin. "Disguises! Physical disguises, that's the ticket. And I know just the kind of disguise we want. Not only that, I know who can do it for us!"

"You do?" Riku is clearly lost. I grin at him.

"Sure do. Remember how I told you about Reno and me being on the run from the mob for a while? Well, we jumped the border back then too and we did it by getting in touch with some friends of Reno's." I pause for a moment. "Promise you won't blab about this?" Sora nods as Riku frowns, then nods. "Reno's kinda a freak. He likes chicks with dicks."

"What?!?" Riku stares at me as Sora blinks, and I shrug.

"Hey, I'm bi, I got nothing to say about his fetishes. But he's totally plugged into the tranny community and it wasn't hard for him to get in touch with a guy here in El Paso who made us look like the prettiest pair of redhead girls you ever saw." I eye them for a moment and grin. "He'd have NO problem making you two into dream girls." Sora is gaping now and Riku looks like he swallowed a bug, hah! "That long silver hair is oooh nice and Sora's got a total babyface. This is perfect."

"No, it's not! I'm not dressing up as a girl!" Riku sputters and I roll my eyes. "I could never pass for a girl, I don't have tits!"

"That is why god gave us padded bras." I say serenely as Sora bursts into half-hysterical laughter. "Believe me, it will work. And what do you have to lose besides your dignity?"

It took me a while, but I finally convinced them that this was really the best idea. Then we made our way to the place I remembered, a little store that sold wigs, make-up and ladies shoes in amazingly big sizes. You get the drift.

"Axel! Why, it has been forever!" The woman at the counter stood up to greet us with a smile, and Riku stared. It isn't hard to tell that Mia is a transvestite. Her face doesn't look quite right and she's got a bit of an adam's apple. Although it doesn't detract much from her stunning good looks. "You and Reno never come to visit."

"We've both got businesses these days, Mia. Sorry." I said apologetically. For years Reno had come back all the time, but now he was tied down with the auto shop. She sighed, then laughed.

"Reno! We do miss him. Well, what can I do for you Axel? Do you want me to make you beautiful again?" She's teasing me but I grin.

"Actually, yes I do." She looks surprised and I explain. "We're trying to get into Mexico without anyone noticing. My friends here have eloped and Sora's family is really pissed over it, and willing to stoop to anything to get him back. I was hoping you could make us all beautiful?" She looks at them both speculatively and smiles.

"I most certainly can, but it will cost you." I nod. I'd expected that. The sum she names makes me wince but I pull out my card. I have more than enough to cover it. "Excellent. Axel, perhaps I can give you a bit more cover." Oh? I give her a questioning look. "Several of my girlfriends were planning an outing to Juarez for some fun. Perhaps you could join them. I'm sure no one would think to look for you in a group of transvestites."

"That's a wonderful idea!" It really is and I beam at her. "Thank you so much Mia." She waves it away.

"It is nothing. Let's get started." Calling one of her employees to man the register she takes us into the back for some serious make-up work. By the time she's done my hair has been curled into a style that makes me look a bit like Orphan Annie, but is really feminine. Along with the makeup I'm really looking good. The special padded bra I put on gives me a decent cup size. Of course, I can't wear any low cut tops but Mia has perfect dresses for this. The one she gets me is a green that matches my eyes, sleeveless but with plenty of coverage. Then I'm banished to the bathroom to shave my legs properly. Ah, what fun. By the time I get out Sora and Riku are both looking like new women. Riku's hair has been gently curled and dyed a light blond to give him a bit of extra protection. Silver hair isn't very common. Sora is wearing a dark brown, really long wig. Along with his big blue eyes, makeup and the soft pink dress he's in he looks like a really convincing girl. Riku is scowling in a light grey gown that really suits his aquamarine eyes, although he probably wouldn't believe it. Hey, why do they have floor length gowns so they don't have to shave their legs? Oh. I can't help but blush when Mia hands me some pantyhose with a honeycomb pattern on them. That makes my legs look a lot better too, less muscular and more feminine. So do the bright green, high heeled shoes. I take a few tentative steps and it all starts coming back. "Good, I see you haven't forgotten how to manage those."

"How could I? We spent so long dressed up that I learned to put on my own makeup." I say ruefully. Those were good times but damn. I was a girl for so long before we got the whole thing settled that I was afraid I might end up being a girl forever.

"How long were you pretending to be a girl?" Oi, Sora would ask that. I grin at him as he looks at me curiously.

"Off and on, for about three months. The mob started catching on though. Remind me later and I'll tell you the whole story." Reno hates it when I tell that story since I make him sound like a tool, but hey, he was a tool so that works. And he's not here to object anyway. Sora smiles at me and damn, he is a cute girl. "Thanks a ton Mia. When are your girls going to come over? Should we meet them somewhere else?"

"They're coming here. Most of them ride motorcycles, in fact." Riku frowns, looking down at his gown as he clearly considers riding a motorcycle in a dress. I scratch my head. Yeah, that's not going to work. "Yes, I know, the dresses are for the club later. For the trip across the border put these on." Mia has a whole 'nother set of clothing ready for us, and I grin as I get into jeans and a frilly, girly t-shirt. I'm a little worried but Riku and Sora still look very girlish in jeans and t-shirts. The Hello Kitty picture on Riku's chest and the "All this and more" caption on Sora's definitely help.

"Wait, a club? What club?" Mia smiles and I grin at Riku. He looks a touch alarmed at that.

"Did you think we were just going to skip out as soon as we crossed the border? Heck no! We're going to have some fun." I say playfully as Sora goggles. Then I get a bit more serious. "And we don't want to light off on our own right away. Let's act like what we're pretending to be for a while so no one suspects anything."

"Oh. Okay." Riku doesn't look too thrilled but he's accepting. "Axel, you're a lifesaver. What would we do without you?"

"Without my stunning personality and charm? Wither and die most likely." Sora laughs as Riku shakes his head with a smile. "Too bad Roxas didn't see it that way." Oh shit, I didn't mean to say that. And it came out really sad, too. Sora grips my arm for a moment and I manage a smile for him.

"I'm sorry Axel." He says softly and I shake my head.

"Nothing to be sorry for. This has really been getting my mind off him." Although nothing could take him off my mind entirely. I think I still love him. Oh well.

I'll get over it eventually.


	5. Orgies!

So we went into Ciudad Juarez in the middle of a transvestite motorcycle gang. I swear, I couldn't make this shit up. Real life amazes me. It all went smooth as silk. The two guys in business suits that Sora and Riku claimed were wizards took one look and looked away in disgust. Snobby bastards. And then we were into Mexico! At that point, things got interesting. We all parked our bikes at the hotel and went on down to the pub.

"Try not to get totally smashed." I advised my two young companions. "It's easy to do since the beer is so cheap here, but it's never a good idea. Juarez has more than it's share of street crime and the cops have a charming habit of carting off everyone in the bar to the pen and shutting the bar down for the night when there's a fight."

"And now we're all dying to know how you found that out." Riku says dryly, and I have to grin. He's entirely right.

"Oh, well, Reno is such a tool. Would you believe he-" And I tell them the entire story of how Reno insisted we go through all kinds of local bars in search of titties. I'm still convinced we only got out alive because I speak fluent Spanish. I had to do a lot of fast talking that night, let me tell you. Before it's over Sora is giggling helplessly and Riku is grinning.

"Oh, I am so telling Reno you told us that story when we get back." I just laugh.

"He'll tell you I'm lying, don't believe him." We have huge differences about what happened that night, but I was the sober one so I think I get dibs. Well, half-sober anyway. I didn't pass out and puke, that has to count for something right? Right?

"You're terrible." We just follow the crowd, chatting and having a grand time dancing. Girls dancing together is kinda cool you know? So Sora and Riku decide to go to town. Riku really has some moves. A guy asks me to dance and, well, why the hell not? He probably doesn't know I'm a guy but it's not like he has to know anyway. I'm not planning to sleep with him.

Of course, I wasn't planning on sleeping with Sora and Riku either. But it's funny how those things work out.

"Whuf!" I was just minding my own business, about to fall asleep when something drunk and soppy collapsed on me. "Hey, Sora, you're in the wrong bedroom." We hadn't been quite drunk when we got home but Sora and Riku had felt the need to finish that, and the beer is really cheap here. Sora was quite a picture, drunk as a skunk in makeup but lacking his wig. That spiky hair just wasn't working with the lipstick. Neither was the way he was under the covers and trying to pull down my pajama pants. "Hey! RIKU! Your boyfriend is molesting me!" Holy shit! Is he…? I don't mind getting my dick sucked but this is not supposed to be happening!

"Hey Sora, do you need any help molesting Axel?" Oh shit, Riku is drunk too. And he looks happy with the situation. I really don't know what to do because my cock is liking this way, way too much.

"I can always use help molesting Axel. Wait, why am I molesting Axel?" Oh thank god, maybe Sora's coming out of it. "Mmm." Or not. Ah god! My eyes unfocus as he does something amazing down there and now Riku is beside me, giving me a kiss and-and I can't resist this. I haven't had sex in what feels like forever and now there's two drunk, hot guys in my bed. Wearing makeup.

I give up and go to fantasy land.

* * *

The next morning, my hips hurt and my ass really aches. Riku sure had a dominant side, not surprising really. I glance around and Riku's pressed against my back, asleep and Sora… where is Sora? Oh. That sound from the bathroom would be Sora.

"Sora?" Riku blinks slowly, waking up with a yawn then suddenly stopping. "Wait. Axel?" He lets go of me like I'm on fire and I sure hope I'm not the only one who remembers last night. If I am, this is going to get embarrassing. "Wh-what happened last night?!?" Shit. This is awkward.

"Well." I wonder how to explain. "It started with Sora falling into my bed. I called you to get him off me but you weren't a lot of help. I, um, can tell you all the naughty bits if you really want." From the look on Riku's face, he's remembering some of those naughty bits himself.

"Wait, did I really screw you while you screwed Sora?" There's a question I'm not going to answer. "I feel sick!" Okay, now that's just offensive. I'm not THAT bad in the sack. "You were almost sober, why didn't you stop us?!?"

"Hey! I haven't had sex in over a month over here!" Oh shit, I hadn't meant to tell him that. Why can't I control what comes drooling out of my mouth? It does momentarily divert him though.

"A month? Wait, how late has Roxas been working? That's absurd!" Well, I'm glad someone thinks so. "Oh god I feel sick." Oh, maybe he just feels sick because he feels sick, not because we slept together. I hope.

"On the plus side, Riku, I don't think it counts as infidelity when it's a threesome." I say solemnly as he glares at me, then sighs.

"I suppose. And it's not like you're hard on the eyes. I just wanted to talk it over with Sora first, not fall into bed together like this." Oh, he'd been thinking of a threesome then? Hah! My sexiness cannot be resisted.

"Well, Sora started it. I don't think he can complain."

"Complain about what?" We both turn to look at the little brunette. He's pale and sweating as he flops back into the bed beside us.

"Well." I wonder how much he can remember. "The threesome we had last night?" Sora just looks at me blankly.

"Oh. Is that what happened? Do you have any aspirin?" Man, he's sweating a lot. He doesn't sound upset but maybe that's because he can't find the energy right now. Do I have any aspirin? Oh yeah.

"Yeah, I always carry some in my bag, hold on a sec." I scoot out of bed and find my hygiene bag. It's got all the vital necessities of travel, like a toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, deodorant, that sort of thing. And of course some aspirin. Advil, actually, but it ought to do. I fill up a glass of water and bring out the bottle. Riku will want some too.

"Thanks Axel." Sora downs the Advil and Riku grabs some, swallowing them dry. Wow, I'm impressed. They always get stuck in my throat when I try to do that. It's so gross. Then Sora curls up on the bed, closing his eyes. He looks just like a kitten that hasn't finished opening its eyes, heh. I can't help but smile as I scoot back onto the bed. I mean, it's my bed even if it's somehow become hot, hung-over guy central. Oh wow, Riku just put his arm around me. It feels really good to have them both beside me. Roxas would usually go to sleep after I did and wake up before me, so it didn't feel like he was really there. This is nice.

I can sleep anywhere, anytime, so pretty soon I'm dozing off again. But eventually nature and my stomach wake me up again. Sora is stirring too, and he's looking a lot better. He gives me a quizzical look.

"Wait, did you say we had a threesome? That's so unfair!" I blink. Unfair?

"Why?" Sora's pouting. God, he's so cute.

"I can't remember ANY of it." I stare at him, shocked, then laugh. Riku wakes up with a snort as I grin at him.

"Well, I guess we'll have to do it again when you're sober then." I say lightly and catch Sora's lips in a kiss. Riku just watches, and plants a kiss on my shoulder. Damn, he's cool. I like them both a lot.

Maybe this will help me forget Roxas.

* * *

(Roxas POV)

There's nothing in the house of Axel's, not really. No personal items and I can't figure out where he took them. But maybe, just maybe, there's something even better.

Wizards have always known about nail clippings and hair. In the past, people would collect the hair they cut off and burn it to prevent it being used against them, and they had the right idea. Hair and nail clippings are potent focuses for magic. Nail clippings I probably won't find, they'll be in the trash, but hair is another story.

When was the last time someone cleaned the bathroom? Ew. I never really noticed before but right now this is perfect. Axel's mane sheds like crazy, there's hair all over the place in here. I quickly gather up a few clumps of it, removing anything that looks like mine, and take it to do the spell.

This time the spell goes smooth as silk, despite it only having my power behind it. A real focus works wonders. They're already in Juarez? Huh. Those wizards at the border worked great dad, hah! I wonder how Sora and Riku managed it. Well, I shouldn't go after them, I'll just be trailing behind. I'll cut them off in front.

They have to be heading to Mexico City. That's where all the renegade wizards go, and it's where they can get really powerful help against dad. It's time to make my excuses and buy a plane ticket. I need to see Sora and Riku. And most of all, I need to see Axel.

I love him so much.

* * *

"Oh god, my ass." Riku groaned, massaging his butt. It would have been an interesting sight if my ass hadn't been feeling pretty bad too. The tour bikes were made for very long trips, but we'd really pushed it with the last leg.

We'd gotten our visitors visa's and Mexican driving insurance in Juarez, then hit the road deep into the Mexican interior. We'd decided to pass by Chihuahua entirely and make it to Torreon before night fell. We'd done it, but it had taken almost ten hours with only a stop for lunch and a few quick pit stops for bathroom breaks. On the plus side, we were well and truly in Mexico now. Maybe we could take it a bit easier on the next stretch of our road trip.

"So what are we doing now?" Sora said chirpily. Little bastard doesn't even seem to feel it. What the hell?

"Get some food and sleep. Get a slow start tomorrow morning. No reason to keep pushing things like this." Riku nods. "I assume we're heading for Mexico City?"

"Right. That's where we'll find the people who can really help us." Riku hesitates, looking at me. "And I think they have an elf lord living there too. I'm hoping maybe he can help you." Ah. Great.

What's the problem with me you might ask? I can't use my magic. At all. I'm managing firestarting but not the way the book says to do it. Riku has a theory that half-elves use magic more like elves than humans. All I know is that if I have to memorize more useless equations I'm going to go mad and bite my own balls off. Well, not really but you get the drift. How am I managing firestarting, you might ask? I kind of squeeze. Riku looked so pained when I told him that, but it's the best I can do. Apparently using magic the human way isn't supposed to involve words like squeeze and flex. Oh well.

"So are we going to redo the threesome tonight? Sober, so I can remember it?" Sora asks innocently and I choke. Maybe I was wrong about who was the kinky one. Riku grins.

"Why not?" Riku cuddles Sora for a moment and I suddenly feel so-so longing. I miss Roxas, I really do. Damn. I guess dad was right, you can't just shut off your feelings even when someone's done you wrong.

"Hey, don't I have any say in this?" I say just to be perverse, and Riku lifts his eyebrows at me as Sora looks confused.

"Come on Axel, like you would say no." Ouch, wound me to the quick. But I guess I do have a reputation to live down to and I am officially single at the moment. And it does take my mind off Roxas at the moment.

"Oh, okay. But you need more lube Riku." Riku blushes as Sora grins.

"I tell him that but he doesn't listen!" We get a hotel room at a rather run-down, shabby place. But as long as the bathrooms are clean I'm okay with that. The price sure is right. "Where should we go for supper?"

"Taco bell?" Sora sticks out his tongue at me. "I dunno, let's just go for a walk and see what we find." What we end up finding is a bar and grill that serves some nice steaks along with kick-ass Mexican beer. Although we're all taking a care not to get soppy drunk again. We want to remember things this time.

Speaking of remembering things, my memory of this time is a lot clearer too. Well, I was a bit drunk last time too even if I was the most sober of the three of us. Anyway, I remember the way Sora gasps and quivers as I suck on him as Riku opens him up. And I remember the way Riku almost puts him down my throat when he thrusts in.

"Hey, gag reflex!" I complain, pulling away before things can get ugly and Riku manages a chuckle as Sora moans, his head falling back and damn he is sexy. I grin and stroke him instead, making him moan again as Riku finds his nipples, gently tweaking them as he pounds into the sexy brunette. The sight makes my breath come faster, and I reach down to touch myself as they make the bedsprings creak.

"Oh god Riku! Riku!" Sora is moaning desperately, his pants coming faster and faster. I can feel the way he's throbbing in my hand and he's got to be close. I duck down to lick his slit. Oh. Well, he liked that but it probably wasn't the best idea I've ever had. I start cleaning myself off, gathering his come off my face with my fingers then licking them clean. Sora is watching, eyes heavy with desire. Riku came somewhere in there, but I wasn't really paying attention. Riku is pulling away from Sora and oh wow, he's some of the come off my face. That is seriously hot.

"Mind if I go inside you this time?" I ask him and he chuckles.

"I want you to." I think I'm in love. Well, not really, but I would be if Roxas weren't such a worm in my heart. But forget about him. For now anyway.

Pretty soon I've got Riku writhing under me, legs clamped around my waist and god, he is so tight and hot in there. I just can't get enough of him, the way his muscles play around me and the way he moans and now Sora is kissing him and god, this is just so hot.

"You guys… are amazing…" I hear myself say before Sora catches my lips for a kiss and Riku chuckles, then gasps as I hit his prostate again.

"No… you are… Axel…!" Riku's breathing is broken up and hitching now, he's getting close and his fingers are digging into my back and oh god _yes!_ We both come hard and any sound I make is muffled with Sora's sweet lips. Riku makes up for it, crying out in pleasure before he relaxes. Sora lets me go and I just lay there for a moment, enjoying the feel and smell of Riku before pulling out of sweet heaven.

"You guys are seriously amazing." I say again, tiredly, and Riku sighs before curling up with Sora. Sora is smiling as he nuzzles the silver hair's neck. "I wonder what Roxas would say if he knew what I'm doing right now."

"Probably something obscene, but it serves him right." Riku yawns and I grin. He's right. "Go to sleep Axel, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." He's right there too.

I'm sure this thing between the three us isn't going to be permanent, but I'll enjoy it as long as it lasts.


End file.
